Investigates the relationship between thoughts (attitudes) and actions (behaviors).
Central question: Does what we think affect what we do, or does what we do affect what we think?
- Key Insight: Attitudes affect actions, and actions affect attitudes.
Definitions of Attitudes
Attitude: Feelings often influenced by beliefs, predisposing reactions to objects, people, and events.
- Example: Belief that someone is threatening leads to feelings of fear and anger, resulting in defensive behavior.
Methods for Changing Attitudes
Various strategies for influencing or changing attitudes explored within the study of psychology.
1. Persuasion
Two approaches to persuasion:
- Central Route Persuasion:
- Involves direct arguments and factual information.
- Trigger careful and thoughtful consideration.
- Example: Climate-change activists must use facts about global warming.
- Data Presentation:
- Monthly temperature divergence since 1880.
- Illustration of temperature changes from 1880 to 2023 indicating clear trends in global temperature rise.
- Peripheral Route Persuasion:
- Based on indirect cues like attractive visuals or emotional appeals.
- Trigger emotional responses and snap judgments rather than analytical thinking.
2. Mere Exposure Effect
Definition: The more one is exposed to something, the more one may come to like it.
- Application in advertising: Frequent exposure is presumed to improve liking for the product.
3. Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Explains how attitudes can change unconsciously based on actions and external motivations.
Experiment by Leon Festinger and James Carlsmith (1950s):
- Step 1: Two groups perform a boring task.
- Step 2: Group 1 paid $1 to falsely report enjoyment of the task, while Group 2 paid $20.
- Step 3: Both groups rate enjoyment of the task.
- Findings: Group 1 (paid $1) had more positive attitudes compared to Group 2 (paid $20).
- Explanation: Group 1 lacked sufficient justification for lying (the $1 was too small), leading them to unconsciously adjust their attitudes towards the task to resolve cognitive dissonance.
- Dissonance: Mental tension experienced when one's beliefs clash with actions.
Implications of Cognitive Dissonance
Key Ideas:
- Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is inconsistency between two cognitions (thoughts).
- Example: Feeling bored but claiming the task was interesting.
- This leads to an attitude change to reduce the discomfort caused by the dissonance.
Predicting Behavior from Attitudes
Disconnection between Attitudes and Behaviors:
- Attitudes do not perfectly predict behavior.
- Research Example: Richard LaPiere (1934) studied treatment of Chinese patrons in U.S. restaurants.
- Despite positive treatment during visit, over 90% of businesses later claimed they would refuse service to Chinese individuals, illustrating misalignment between stated attitudes and actual behaviors.
Conclusion: Behaviors are often more influenced by situational factors than personal beliefs.
Compliance Strategies
Techniques to encourage compliance with requests:
1. Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon
If a small request is granted, individuals are more likely to agree to a larger follow-up request.
2. Door-in-the-Face Strategy
After a large request is turned down, individuals may be more inclined to agree to a subsequent smaller request, perceiving it as more reasonable.
3. Social Reciprocity Norm
Norm stating that if someone does something favorable for another, the latter feels an obligation to reciprocate.
4. Social Responsibility Norm
The belief that individuals should act in ways that contribute positively to society and improve the world around them.